Membrane separation processes have become an emerging technology for the treatment of oily wastewater due to high oil removal efficiency and relatively facile operational process. This review will highlight the recent development of advanced membrane technology such as surface modification, addition of inorganic particles in polymer membrane and the development of ceramic membranes. Additionally, the effect of operating parameters on the membrane performance is discussed in detail. Future outlooks in oil-water membrane separation are also discussed to further broaden the research and development related to this technology. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.